He Retired, Hopped on a Bike and Rode 5,000 Miles for a Cause Close to His Heart

“You’re Too Old For That” is a regular series that explores inspiring activities being pursued by those over 50 years old who feel you’re never too old to do what lights you up.

Six miles into a 5,000-mile bicycle ride across the country, Pat McAleer’s rear derailleur was ripped completely off his bike. He had been riding for about 30 minutes. It was definitely not how he imagined beginning the biggest ride of his life. But what happened next says a lot about what this journey became.

On July 15, McAleer dipped his tire into the Pacific Ocean at La Push, Washington, and began pedaling solo toward Virginia Beach. The recently retired Richmond, Virginia, father rode solo and self-funded across the country with a goal of raising $250,000 for Breakthrough T1D, an organization that funds research focused on the prevention, treatment and cure of Type 1 diabetes.

For McAleer, this was personal.

In 2009, McAleer and his wife, Molly, learned that their 10-year-old daughter, Mary Kate, had Type 1 diabetes. Suddenly, they were counting carbohydrates, managing blood sugar highs and lows, administering insulin, and worrying through the night.

Today, Mary Kate is 27, healthy and working as a registered nurse. But managing Type 1 diabetes is still part of every single day. She monitors her blood sugar with a continuous glucose monitor and uses an insulin pump.  There are no vacations or rest days from the disease.

Turning a Father’s Love Into Action

After Mary Kate was diagnosed, McAleer and his wife got involved with Breakthrough T1D. They served on the board, volunteered and did whatever they could to support the organization. But McAleer still wondered what more he could do.

He had been riding bikes since he was a kid, and a 2021 trip along the Camino de Santiago in Spain showed him how much he loved traveling that way. A few years later, after another long ride, he came home and told Molly, “When I retire, I want to ride my bicycle across the country and raise a bunch of money for Breakthrough T1D research.”

Which brings us back to those first six miles.

With no way to fix the derailleur himself, McAleer did something he had never done before. He hitchhiked. A man named Dale stopped his pickup truck and took McAleer and his bike to a bus stop. As luck would have it, the bus driver was also a bicycle mechanic. He knew exactly what was wrong and helped McAleer reach a bike shop several towns away.

The Kindness of Strangers

And Dale wasn’t the only stranger who stopped to help.

“The people are as awesome as the beautiful sights I see,” McAleer said. “I would say that they’re better.”

Strangers stopped along remote roads to offer him food and water. Bicycle mechanics stopped what they were doing to help get him back on the road. Even outside convenience stores and restaurants, people stopped to ask if he was okay or needed anything.

Some conversations have hit harder than others. Near a cornfield, McAleer met a man named Joe who had lost his wife to Type 1 diabetes. It was a chance meeting McAleer will never forget.

McAleer also dedicated each day of the ride to someone he knows with Type 1 diabetes. He put that person’s name on his bike and sent them a video, making sure every day, and every mile, had a face and a story behind it.

Life on the Road

And the days were long. McAleer estimated that he burned between 5,000 and 8,000 calories a day. He fueled himself with oatmeal, bananas, yogurt, tuna, beef jerky, Clif Bars, and Fig Newtons. Burgers also made a regular appearance.

He camped about 60 percent of the time, spent roughly 30 percent of his nights in motels or Airbnbs, and stayed with friends or family when he could. Everything he needed was carried on his Salsa Cutthroat gravel bike. Four panniers served as his kitchen, workshop, bathroom, bedroom, and dresser. His big “luxury” on the road? Four pairs of socks.

McAleer wasn’t planning every mile, or even where he slept each night. One day outside Fargo, he felt so strong that he simply kept riding. He eventually covered about 120 miles and arrived in St. Cloud close to 10 p.m.

“At the end of the day, you just look back, and you’re like, that was freaking cool,” he said.

His northern route took him across the country toward Buffalo, where friends joined him on the Erie Canal path to New York City. From there, he continued solo through Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia before reaching Virginia Beach and dipping his tire into the Atlantic Ocean.

McAleer has realized that the most memorable parts of this journey were rarely the ones he planned. They were the challenges, the spontaneous encounters, and the unexpected acts of kindness.

“This isn’t just a ride,” he said. “It’s me doing something hard for people who every day do something much, much harder.”

McAleer can take a rest day now. Mary Kate and millions of others living with Type 1 diabetes cannot.

Every mile was for them. 

McAleer recently completed his amazing journey, beating his goal and raising over $250,000 along the way. You can read about his trip or donate at RidePatRide.org. 100 percent of all contributions go directly to Breakthrough T1D.

Are you doing something inspiring? Do you know someone who is pursuing a passion in their older years? If you or someone you know is 50 years old or older and should have their inspiring story told, please email the editors at Nifty 50+